Design Research Methodology, 6.0 credits

Designforskningsmetodik, 6.0 hp

6FITN62

Course level

Third-cycle Education

Description

Design as a research field has its own specific research methods drawing on the ability to use design practice for academic knowledge production. Such methods, which we call constructive design research or research-through-design, are the focus of this course. The research methods we study are connected to the PhD students’ own ongoing or planned research.

Contact

Entry requirements

Accepted to PhD studies. Basic knowledge of general research methodology.

Learning outcomes

The main objective is for PhD students to develop an understanding of the ways in which valid knowledge is produced in the academic field of design research. The aim is to reach a relational level of understanding, where students should be able to

  • demonstrate an understanding of design research built on top of foundational concepts in research methodology, and
  • prepare to engage in existing practices of academic production of design knowledge.

Contents

Course topics include research into/for/through design, appropriation of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the relation between engineering research and design research, the role of practice and experimentation in design research, constructive research, the role of artifacts in design research, communication of design research knowledge, the relation between design research and artistic research practices.

Educational methods

The course is based on seminars, where we study the methodological literature and analyze published examples of design research, and an individual assignment involving the planning of a design research study.

Examination

Submission of individual seminar assignments and active participation in course seminars.

Submission of final individual assignment.

Grading

Two-grade scale

General information

The course is tailored to PhD students in Design, focusing on constructive design research methods that represent the most characteristic approach to methodology within design research. It is co-taught with the second-year course TNM102 in the MSc Design program; however, the final assignment is specific for PhD students and aims to connect the learnings from the course to PhD students’ own ongoing or planned research.